This morning a sad press release told us the Ban Uni Man Pa Cria Nos Muchanan is running out of funds for its school breakfast program.
Which bring me to the topic of Fund Raising.
The Aruba Animal Shelter was very excited when it found itself among the 10 finalists of the Long Table Aruba, video contest!
I was involved with the video production and enjoyed the creative process.
I thought I would write a fun column about making a video with dogs, and the resulting chaos, when furry friends play starring toles.
But I can’t.
Because the fact that 50 foundations competed for the funds, says something about our life on the island.
So here it goes.
Congratulations to the ten finalists: Animal Welfare Alliance Aruba, Aruba Animal Shelter, Cas di Cultura, Child First Foundation, Fundacion Arubano di esanan Visualmente Incapacita , Fundacion Pas Non Communidad, Luna Foundation Aruba Inc., Nine Lives Aruba Foundation, Pasadia Bibito Pin and Stichting BOB Aruba.
The winner of the $40,000 grand prize was announced at the Long Table Aruba event on Sunday, August 28th, it was Animal Welfare Alliance Aruba.
The very deserving AWA, won the top amount, and pledged to open a sterilization clinic, right next to Sgt Peppers’ rescue headquarters, to facilitate the spaying and neutering of animals coming off the street. Which is our core challenge, unwanted animals thrown into the street.
Then surprise, five other finalists received a $10.000 each. A super generous gesture on behalf of Wind Creek Renaissance Aruba, hosts of the 4th annual Long Table Aruba.
Wind Creek gave away $90.000 that night, $50.000 to help solve the unwanted animal heartbreak, and the idea to tackle the problem at its core, is excellent. A clinic will help!
General Manager Paul Gielen, told me his Wind Creek Renaissance crew visited some of the foundation and were super impressed by the level of dedication and passion that locals have for their social causes and medical challenges, including organizations dedicated to sports, refugee-aid, emergency-aid, education, culture, addiction treatment and prevention, scouting, assistance for all kinds of impairments, among kids, adults, families and the elderly.
The foundations submitted over 50 videos of fantastic initiative, in need of funds.
What’s my point?
In organized countries governments and municipalities assume the burdens of many of those foundations, but in Aruba, the country is burdened with debt, created by GOA, thus there is never any money left for anything but the bare minimum.
The more the private sector does, the more we fundraise and take care of ourselves, the less the government has to do.
Wind Creek Renaissance invited a minister to stand on stage at the time of the great reveal. It was out of a sense of respect, not true partnership.
And to the 290 Wind Creek Renaissance staffers that served an amazing meal to 1,000 deserve the highest form of compliment: Kudos, chapeau, pat of the back, compliments, standing-ovation, pluimpje!
